A useful picture: a line has been drawn and it will not be moved again. Whatever was still open — still arguable, still liable to change — is now closed. This is the final form of the thing.

界線畫下去了,而且不會再挪動。原本還可以吵、還可能改的事,到這裡就定案了——這就是最後的版本,後面沒有更好的、也沒有更晚的了。這個字跟 define(下定義)同源,而 define 的字根 fīnis 就是「界線、終點」;所以 definitive 骨子裡的意思是「把邊界劃定,事情到此為止」。

From the word’s history

Via Middle French définitif from Latin dēfīnītīvus, from dēfīnīre 'to set bounds to, define', built on fīnis 'boundary, end' — the same root as finish and final. Setting a final boundary is the shared picture.

經中古法文 définitif,來自拉丁文 dēfīnītīvus,動詞 dēfīnīre「劃定範圍、下定義」,字根 fīnis 是「界線、終點」——跟 finish、final 同一個根。「把邊界定下來、到此為止」這個畫面比較像兩個用法共同的底。

Wiktionary (definitive < Middle French définitif < Latin dēfīnītīvus < fīnis) — as given in the payload's attested-origins note

登入就可以看每一支怎麼連回核心畫面。

原始詞典資料8 筆記錄

以下是外部詞典記錄的用法,摘錄並精簡格式,我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的;有些用法可能上面已經講過了。

definitiveadj/dɪˈfɪn.ɪ.tɪv/

  • 1

    explicitly defined

  • 2

    determining finally, conclusive, decisive

    • definitive vote
    • She will have the definitive say in the matter, after consulting her board of directors.
  • 3

    definite, authoritative and complete

    • A strict and definitive truth.
    • Some definitive […] scheme of reconciliation.
  • 4

    limiting; determining

    • a definitive word
  • 5

    hobbieslifestylephilatelygeneral, not issued for commemorative purposes

  • 6

    obsoleteDetermined; resolved.

    • Never crave him. We are definitive.

definitivenoun/dɪˈfɪn.ɪ.tɪv/

  • 1

    grammarhuman-scienceslinguisticsa word, such as a definite article or demonstrative pronoun, that defines or limits something

  • 2

    hobbieslifestylephilatelyan ordinary postage stamp that is part of a series of all denominations or is reprinted as needed to meet demand

摘錄自 英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary,已精簡格式;依 CC BY-SA 4.0 授權使用,改動後的內容同樣以此授權提供。